Like An Animal
by Yasu Uchiha
Summary: Three friends. All obsessed with the mythical world. How far will they go to join it? ParisxOC
1. Freakin' Whore

**Mwahaahahahaha!!! Finally, a character I can do whatever I want to!!!! Ha! Eat that, Author Goddess! But… there's still a bunch of other guest stars. Characters – save Dessa, Runa, And Anya – belong to the Author Goddess. Dee, Rue, and Anny belong to me, as well as the idea. Enjoy anyways.**

"Ooh, Annykee, What about him? He's puuurdy…"

Anya glanced at the newest guy her best friend, Dessa, was pointing out to her. Dessa had gotten it into her head that her friend needed a wild night out with a guy. "Eh. He's alright."

Dessa looked incredulously at her friend. "Alright? Sweet, you sure you're not gay?"

Anya laughed and took another swig from her longneck. "Yes, Dee, I'm sure." She shuddered, thinking back to the time in high school when she thought she was. "Very sure."

Dessa laughed. "Aye, true…" She glanced around Sanctuary again. She'd already asked about every Peltier boy, and about almost every guy their age in the bar. As the song "Sweet Home Alabama" started playing on the jukebox, another guy walked in. At a towering 6'8", he was easily the tallest in the bar. He was all decked out in Goth attire, and he held himself with such a dangerous and seductive aura that it caused every woman around him to look at him.

"Oh. Annykee, what about _him_?"

Anya glanced at him. She liked Goths, but this man would _tower _over her. She also noticed a thin gold band on his left hand. "He's married."

Dessa glanced at her dubiously. "And that would stop you?"

Anya looked at her friend over her beer. "If my husband cheated on me with some random chick he met in a bar, I would kill him."

Dessa contemplated it for a moment. "Aye, and I would hunt down the girl myself. True. Okay." She sighed, brushing her short, golden-brown hair over her shoulder. The tips had recently been dyed red, the color accenting her red plaid outfit.

Anya laughed. She had recently added a streak of purple to the front of her long, layered brunette hair. She and Dessa went back to small talk, until four more guys walked in. The Goth guy nodded to them. Anya's jaw dropped. Three of them were identical, but the fourth… he was breath-taking. "Oh, Dee… what about _him_?"

Dessa glanced at them. "Eh." Her eyes sparked. "Ooh, triplets. Kinky."

"Eh?" Anya repeated. "_Eh_? Dee, are you _blind_?"

Dessa shrugged. "He's not that amazing. Not here." She eyed him critically. "Although, he does look like he has the stamina needed…" She nodded. "Aye, he'll do." She slid off her barstool.

Anya stared at her friend, horror in her eyes. "You aren't actually…?"

Dessa shrugged. "Why not? How long has it been since you've been with a guy?"

Anya narrowed her eyes at Dessa. "You know very well how long, and exactly why I haven't since."

Dessa's eyes softened. "Yes, I do know. And I know that you can't continue like this. What happened," she put her hand on Anya's knee, "Sweet, it wasn't your fault. You can't keep blaming yourself. You have to stop thinking about it." She grinned devilishly. "And what better way to forget than a wild night with the hottie of your choice? Girl, with your body, you can get anyone."

Anya laughed. "Oh, Dee, I love you." She glanced at the guy she had noticed earlier. He was checking her out. She smiled at him, a blush creeping over he cheeks. "Dee, he's looking at me."

Dessa glanced over her shoulder to look at him. "Cool. C'mon." She grabbed Anya's hand and dragged her over, despite Anya's protests. "Hi," she said brightly. "This is Anya. She's single, loves animals of all kinds, reads too much for her own good, adores fantasy, and is in need of a wild sexcapade. I'm her best friend Dessa. Who're you?"

Anya buried her face in her free hand. "I hate you, Dee," she muttered.

To her surprise, though, he didn't laugh. Instead, he responded, "I'm Paris. I'm single, am good with felines, live in a fantasy world, and am more than willing to give your friend a wild sexcapade. That is, if she'll let me."

The triplets he was with howled with laughter. Dessa looked at them. "If you three are up for an even wilder sexcapade, I'm willing."

The triplets looked between each other, suddenly pale. It was Paris' turn to laugh.

Dessa grinned, taking Paris' hand and putting Anya's in it. "Be good to my girl, Paris. If not, it'll be your last sexcapade." She locked eyes with him. "Ever."

Paris nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Dessa smiled happily. "Annykee, if he's good, he's a keeper." She kissed her friend on the cheek. "Have fun, sweet. And use protection." She paused. "Well, if he's good, you're marring him anyway, so…" She laughed and dodged a slap from Anya. "Love you!" She dashed off.

Anya's face flamed with heat. "Oh, gods, I hate that girl," she moaned.

Paris chuckled softly. "I'm sure she's just trying to make you feel better. Why are you sad, anyway?"

"Hey, Paris. We're off for a bit. Give you and your girl some time alooone," one of the triplets drawled. The other two howled.

Paris shook his head. "Go get laid, you three. And find separate girls this time."

"Burn," Anya laughed.

Paris grinned at her. "C'mon. I can tell you need some time away from all of this. Ever ridden a motorcycle?"

A slow smile spread across her face. "Yeah. But I don't have any gear."

Paris smirked. "Don't worry. Come with me."

Anya took his hand and let him lead her out. He opened a custom bag on the side and pulled out a leather jacket and helmet. She grinned happily as she pulled them on. She hadn't been on a bike in far too long.

Paris swung his leg over the Harley, motioning for her to sit behind him. Her face flushing, Anya slid on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She inhaled his uniquely manly scent and felt stabs of desire go through her body. Maybe Dessa was right, and she really did need a wild sexcapade. She would more than willingly with this man.

Paris almost growled as he felt her lush curves pressed against his back. He'd always had a thing for full-bodied brunettes, and Anya certainly was a full-bodied brunette. He desperately wanted to swing her off the bike and screw her right then and there, but he didn't want to scare her. Instead, he jump-started the Harley and tore out of the parking lot.

Anya tightened her grip around his waist and laughed with giddy excitement. She could feel his very defined abs under her hands, and she couldn't help but imagine running her hands over his bare skin. She bit her lip – hard – at the thought.

Paris got to his apartment in record time. He let Anya slide off the Harley before sliding off himself. He swept her off her feet and carried her to his apartment. He opened the door without releasing Anya. Once he was in, he set her on her feet and closed the door.

Anya was looking around. "This place is tiny. And I thought I had it bad with Dee and Rue." She smiled at the many times she, Dessa, and Runa had stayed up all night, watching chick flicks and doing Reddi-Whip shots. Her smile faded when she remembered why they started. She turned back to Paris.

Paris stared at her with such a feral intensity it made her knees weak. He slowly strode up to her, oozing sexual prowess. He slid his hands down her sides, to rest at her hips, and pulled her to him.

Her heart beat frantically against his chest. He bent his head to meet her lips. He stopped a breath away and murmured, "If you're willing."

She closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to his.

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Dessa sat next to the giant Goth stud. "Hi," she said.

He glanced at her. He flashed his ring at her. "Married."

She nodded. "Oh, I know. My bestie already pointed that out. No worries, I'm not here to get you in bed, though I'm sure plenty of other girls wouldn't mind." She shook her head. "I wasn't here for me. But you did catch my eye. What's your name?"

He raised an eyebrow. She intrigued him with her hyper aura and gutsy attitude. "Ash. You?"

She smiled at him. "M'name's Dessa, but basically everyone calls me Dee. Is Ash short for something?"

He laughed. "Acheron."

She cocked her head. "Acheron? How'd you get Ash from that?"

Her happiness infectious, he laughed again. "Latinized, my name is Asheron."

"Oh." She nodded. "Now that makes sense. What's your name, Greek?"

Ash nodded.

"Weird. I've never met someone with as such a Greek name as you. Well, actually, I have. My bestie – other bestie, not the one I came here with – she took some archaeology classed from Tory Kafieri. Her first name's Soteria. Crazy Greek. D'y'know her?"

Ash laughed. "Know her? I'm married to her."

Dee's eyes widened. "Really? Dude." She gasped. "Oh! _You're_ the yummy Goth guy Rue was telling me about! Wait till I tell her I met you!" She laughed.

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Runa Johnson? I remember her."

"Oi, not fair!" Dee protested. "She said she only saw you!"

"Oh, she did. Soteria pointed her out to me."

Dee smiled, placated. "Okay. So what do you do for a living?" She asked.

Ash shook his head. This girl was an odd combination of Tory and Sunshine and he didn't understand her in the least. "I'm a… wrangler, of sorts."

"What do you wrangle around here? Gators?" She cocked her head. "D'y'know Talon? He's got gators around his house. He named them, too. Kinda weird… but that describes everyone I run with. Did'ja know he used to be a vampire hunter, like Tabby? D'y'know Tabby? She's crazy, but I love her. Rue drags me to Pandora's Box all the time. Tabby and I chat a lot while Rue's browsing. Valerius used to be a hunter too. I dunno why they stopped. It sounds fun." She stopped abruptly. "What _do_ you wrangle?"

"I was wondering if you had forgotten," he muttered under his breath. "People. With bad attitudes."

"Oh. Like Valerius? He's got the whole holier-than-thou thing going on. Anyone I might know?"

"You seem to run with the people I wrangle. I'm kind of… the head Hunter."

Dee's eyes widened. "No… You wrangle Talon and Valerius and Kyrian and Tabby? You're the bossman they're always talking about. They said you're scary. You don't look scary. You're just drop dead gorgeous." She cocked her head tot he side. "Well, I guess you _can_ be scary. Or, are scary. You're just not that way to me. Very few people scare me, 'specially people as delicious as you." She shrugged. "But that's me for you. I had the scared programmed right out of me. Well, usually." She fell silent for a moment. "Am I talking too much?"

Ash suppressed a laugh at that. "Not at all. Keep talking."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you making fun of me?" She asked suspiciously.

He couldn't suppress his laugh at that. "Perhaps."

"Ooh, vague. _So_ badass." She rolled her eyes. "Really?"

He laughed again. "You're sounding like the people I wrangle."

"So tell me about them." She took a swig from he beer. "I already know about four of 'em. What about the rest? How many are there?"

"A lot."

She rolled her eyes again, a smile pulling at her lips. She shook her head. "Enough with the vague-ness, Ash. I wanna know. I believe a lot more than just about anyone else you can find." She paused for a breath. "I believe in vampires and their immortal hunters, I believe in gods, goddesses, faeries, unicorns, half-breeds of _all_ kinds, psychics, gypsies, time travel, were-animals, sorcerers, demons, ghosts, parallel universes, but I don't think I believe in soulmates or love at first sight. Huh." She took a swig of beer and fell silent, contemplating that.

Ash smirked. "Well, why not? What's so difficult to believe about soulmates and true love? Don't you believe there's someone out there for everyone?"

For the first time, the smile completely faded from her face. She scowled, glaring at her beer bottle. "I believe that most guys are jerks who only want one thing, and all of the ones that don't are either gay or taken." She glanced at him. "You, for example." She laughed, the sound very unlike her usual laughter – cold and angry. "My ex, for another. Wait, he only wanted sex too."

Ash fell silent, realizing he hit a nerve. He was saved from making any other conversation by a girl about a year older than Dee. She had long, straight black hair with two red streaks in front. "Oi, Chickadee!" She called to her. "Let's get going! Where's Annykee?"

Dee pushed away from the bar, then turned back and jotted down her number on a napkin. "You're cool. Maybe you can come to one of our all-nighters. Bring Tory and her friends – they'd blend right in." She flashed a grin at him, all previous tension gone. She ran to her friend, calling over her shoulder, "Later, Ash!"

Ash watched her go, as her friend stared in disbelief. Her friend shook her head. "So not fair," he heard her say, before the girls left the bar.

* * *

So the three new charries are actually based off of me and my two closest friends. See if y'all can figure out who's who. If you need me to, I can tell you, but I'm sure Ren or Momos (I'm watching you two…) will spoil it for y'all in my reviews. So… review! Je vous adore!


	2. History and a Scolding

**It's summer and I have nothing better to do. Come September, these are going to slow waaaaaaay down, but until then, I'mma be churnin' these out like nobody's business.**

Too bad there's no way to get myself into the Dark-Hunter's world. I mean, I wouldn't mind if there were some crazy site that lets people write themselves into whatever world they want. That would be so cool!! What do you think it'd be called? I'm thinking something like… fanfiction. Yeah!

Oh, wait… standard disclaimers apply.

Anya pushed away from him. "I can't do this." She wrapped her arms around herself, turning away.

Paris came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Why not?" he didn't sound accusing, merely curious.

Anya laughed, the sound empty. She flashed the silver promise ring on her left hand. "I'm still his."

"And who is this lucky bastard, and does he realize how much of a lucky bastard he is?"

Anya laughed again, but tears choked her laughter. "He did, when he was alive."

He sat, pulling her into his lap. Stroking her hair back, he murmured, "What happened?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I must be cursed, or something." She sighed. "When we met, I was in love with an utter jackass. Because of how much my friends hated him for hurting me, we stopped calling him by his real name and started calling him Eustace." She laughed again, remembering her sophomore year of high school and all of the inside jokes that came from it. "He killed himself, June eighth. The bastard almost made me cry, like he didn't enough while I loved him. Dee and Joe helped me through it the most. We were supposed to get married, Joe and I. Dee was running around, getting everything set up… she and Rue even dragged me to a mall to go lingerie shopping, and we checked out rings. I didn't know they were waiting for me to chose an engagement ring, so they could go back to Joe and report. He was going to the mall to pick up the ring I loved most when-" she choked on a sob, burying her face in Paris' shoulder.

He rocked her gently, stroking her hair. "You don't have to continue if you don't want to."

She shook her head. "The worst part? It was June eighth. Four years after Eustace's death. Exactly, down to the time." She shook her head. "I'm cursed, Paris. And it hurts still. So much." She pulled away to look up at him. Her eyes burned into his. "I was only ever his. I haven't been with anyone else since."

"How long ago was it?" he asked softly.

"Two years," she whispered.

"Two years is a long time to go without anyone."

She nodded. "Dee and Rue kept saying the same thing. But… This is the first time I've been out of the apartment with the purpose of finding someone to go home with." She shook her head. "Every other time it was with Rue to find her a lover or with Dee so she could pretend to be drunk and flirt with everyone." She shook her head. "We've mostly spent nights on the couch and floor with chick flicks and Reddi-Whip shots. Hell, when it was really bad, we'd have chocolate whipped cream."

Paris smiled sadly. "They sound like good friends."

"oh, they're the best. Certifiable at times certainly, but the best. I wouldn't trade them for the world." She looked up at him. "Are the triplets like that for you?"

"I can honestly say I have never watched chick flicks from my couch taking Reddi-Whip shots with Trey, Ax, and Trion."

Anya laughed hard. "I don't mean like that," she gasped between laughs. "No, I mean, are they always there for you type thing?"

Paris shrugged. "We aren't as codependent as you and your friends are. We're more of the stand-alone type. We only really band together when-" he cut off.

Anya looked up at him with curiosity. "When what?"

But Paris had already shut himself off. "I've said too much."

Anya cocked her head to the side, resting it on his shoulder. "C'mon. Before I met Dee, I was superstitious to a fault. After, she's taught me to believe in a hell of a lot more that before. I'll believe just about anything you tell me."

Paris raised an eyebrow. "What if I told you I was a were-lion and the triplets were were-tigers, and we band together to hunt down those of out kind that are born humans instead of animals?" he asked, keeping his voice light and teasing.

"Wow. When Dee said she wanted to marry me off to someone in a fantasy world, she really goes all the way." Anya looked up at him. "Are you? Really?"

Paris hesitated. He didn't know if she was teasing or not. "Are you real? Do you honestly believe that?"

Anya nodded. "It's possible, I guess. I could believe it, if it were real, I mean. Dee's the one you want to go to for all of that kind of stuff. She can rattle off faery statistics like nobody's business. Rue has all the info on vamps. I just know the stuff they constantly repeat, and one of them is to keep an open mind. So, yeah, I can believe it."

"Your friends really do their research, don't they?" he mused. "How much do you believe, though? Just you, yourself?"

Anya smiled, leaning back against him. "Dee and Rue got me believing almost everything. I believe that we've got mythical beings living among us _as _us. I don't know how to identify them, but I can believe anything you put to me." She cuddled up to him. "so tell me. How did your kind come to be, and why do you hunt down the human-like kind?"

Paris smiled at her. "You're really real." He said. "Never though I'd find someone like you." He proceeded to go into the history of the Were-Hunters for her.

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"So you let Anya go home with someone you've never met, and you didn't even bother to get his address?" Runa snapped.

Dessa cringed away from her friend. "He has the threat of castration over his head! And with how well-endowed _he_ is, it's a real threat!"

Runa growled softly. "Oh, Chickadee, you are so _dense_ sometimes."

"But he was really nice-looking, and he's friends with Dr. Tory's husband!" Dessa protested. "He can't be _that_ bad."

Runa's eyes widened. "If you haven't realized, Tory's husband doesn't exactly run with the safest of people," she growled.

"No, but none of them would ever hurt someone when they've got the threat of castration over their heads. Especially considering half of them are married."

Runa paled. "Oh, dear gods, Dee, don't tell me he was married."

Dessa shook her head with conviction. "Anny would have noticed and told me. No, he was a good guy. Promise, Runimou."

Runa rolled her eyes. "Fine. Looks like it's just you and me tonight."

Dessa grinned at her. "Wanna go to Tip's? We haven't haunted there in a while."

Runa's responding grin was devilish. "Let me get ready."

* * *

So begins their trip to the impossible. And with how desperate Dee is to get into the whole mythical scene, who knows how it's going to turn out? Well, I do, for one. But I'm not telling. HAHA! Anyway. Review, lovers, and I'll post as fast as I can. Agapay!


	3. Dark Secret

**So! Considering nothing else is getting reviews, and I will not post until they do, looks like this one's flying! Enjoy, have fun, review, and read my others and review.**

When Dessa and Runa returned to their apartment, Anya had left a message on the machine. "Hey there, girlies. I'm fine, don't worry. I know you two are probably out at one of your haunts, having fun, so I just wanted to let you know I've got my cell on me and I'll be staying with Paris for the day. I see you two at Sanctuary tonight, 'kay? Be good, behave, have fun for the day. And Dee, I found your in."

Dessa squeaked and immediately called Anya. "Ohmigawd, Anny, Paris is a mythical creature?" she said, her words blending together.

Anaya laughed. "Well, what would you say if I said yes?"

"I'd say dayam, you've got good taste in guys. So what is he? Vampire? Faery? God?"

"Shape-shifter."

Dessa screamed. "Ohmigawd, Anny, crazy! I'm coming over. Where's he live?"

"No, Chickadee. Stay home with Rue. Behave. We're coming over to Sanctuary tonight, and you can interrogate him there. Okay? But until then, I'm staying with him, and you two can go to your regular haunts. Send the Hunters, the Runingwolfs, the Magnus', and the Deverauxs my love if you see them."

Dessa sighed. "Okay, fine. I'm glad, Anny." Her grin turned devilish. "Was he good?"

Anya groaned. "If I were there, I'd beat you for that."

"So he was?"

"Good_bye_, Chickadee."

"Bye, Annykee. I love you."

Anya hung up.

"So was he good?" Runa asked immediately.

"Dunno. I don't know if they even slept together. We'll find out tonight at Sanctuary, ouais?"

Runa sighed. "Okay. I'm going to sleep, and when I wake up, we can go out." Runa headed for the bedroom, where their three beds were jammed in.

"I'mma check my sites, 'kay?" she said, heading for the laptop.

"Yeah, yeah, just keep it down."

Dee signed in and brought up Google. She did a quick search: shape shifter, Sebastienne, Paris. A lot of her fic sites popped up, but the first site caught her attention: . She clicked that, the only unfamiliar site on the search. She skimmed over it, finding mentions of Paris. She gasped softly, her eyes widening. "oh, Rue's not going to like this."

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Dee sat at the bar, scanning the crowd. Runa couldn't understand her tension – all she knew was that when she woke up, Dee was pouring over her laptop, printing things off, writing things down when the printer quit. "Chickadee?"

"Not important."

"Bull. You've _never_ been this quiet."

"There's Anny. And Paris." Dee slid off her seat and went directly to Paris. She flashed one of the pages she'd printed off at him. "Explain."

Paris raised an eyebrow. "Explain what?"

"Why you're a _Slayer_. The bounty on your head's enough to get all three of us through whatever we need." She narrowed her eyes. "The triplets are Slayers too. What the hell are you playing at?"

"Calm down, Dee," Anya said soothingly. "He's not a Slayer, he's a really strong Strati."

"Difference?"

"He kills to protect, not for the hell of it."

Runa frowned. "What the _hell_ are you talking about?"

"He's a shape-shifter," Dee said offhandedly.

"A Were-Hunter. Lion. And very strong in magic," Anya added.

"And I'm just finding out… why?" Runa asked, annoyed.

"C'est pas importante," Dee said.

"Non, c'est tres importante! Pourquoi est-ce que vous ne me direz pas?" Runa snapped back.

"Parce-que."

"Parce-que pourquoi?"

"Do they do this a lot?" Paris asked Anya in a low voice.

Anya nodded. "You learn to ignore them after a while. They can go on forever."

"D'accord, d'accord, d'accord. Bon. Paris. You get Anny into bed?" Dee asked.

Anya whacked her. "Whore!"

Dee flashed a grin, rubbing her arm where Anya hit her. "Only the best money can buy," she taunted. "Anyway. Oui ou non?"

Paris shook his head.

Dee sighed. "Do_mmage_. Anywho. So you're a were."

Paris curled his lip. "I'm an animal first, little girl. Don't call me a were."

Dee laughed. "Sure thing, Kitty. Anyway. So…? When're you getting her into bed?"

Anya groaned. "Plead the fifth, Paris. Please."

"I won't leave him alone until he responds," Dee warned.

"When she wants him to, Dee," Runa interjected calmly. "Because you know he ain't getting close to her beforehand."

Dee grinned. "True. Oh, Anny! I talked to that Goth dude. His name's Acheron, Ash for short, and he's married to Dr. Tory." She cocked her head. "Come to think of it… he's really familiar."

Anya shrugged. "I didn't recognize him."

Dee frowned, her eyes focused on a distant point. "No. No, I've seen him before. A while ago. He… he looked the same." She shook her head, smiling again. "Moving right along."

Runa laughed. "You're so weird, Chickadee."

Dee cocked her head to the side, smiling. The pose looked so innocent that both of her friends cracked up. "Little blonde pigtails, hair in ringlets, pink froufy dress… Damn, Dee, what level did you sink to?" Runa teased.

"Ninth ring of hell, right there," Anya added.

Dee joined in their laughter. "Anyway, who's up for a shot game?"

"Oh, girlie, I'mma drink you under the table," Runa said, starting off.

"I can hold my liquor, thank you very much!" she shouted after Runa. She turned to Paris. "Of course, I'm sure your metabolism's considerable faster than ours, so you've basically already won."

Paris shook his head. "The Peltiers are Were-Hunters as well. They can make drinks that can intoxicate you in one go."

Dee grinned. "Ooh, I'll have to try that."

Paris shook his head. "I have to get going." He dipped down his head, kissing Anya on the cheek. "You're got my cell number, don't hesitate to call," he said, before turning away.

Anya's face flushed.

"Ooh, Anny and Paris, I see? Am I going to have to make room for him sometime soon?" Dee teased, leading the way to where Runa had shot glasses lined up for them.

"Shut up," Anya snapped, her face flushing a deeper red.


End file.
